Makeup can be tough to remove so it’s important to pick the right kind of cleanser. Tune in to this week’s show to learn everything you need to know about the perfect product to clean your face.

Show notes

The Beauty Brains on Dr.Oz

I just returned from New York where I not only attended the annual Society of Cosmetic Chemists meeting but I also appeared on the Dr. Oz show! I talked about beauty myth busting and I’ll post a link to the video as soon as I know when the episode airs.

Question of the week: How to pick the best makeup remover

Elisa asks…I recently bought a product from Herborist, a Chinese brand and it’s called Silky All-Day Softening Cleansing Foam. I’m wondering why it’s so good to remove mascara but it says we have to use it every day to clean our face. Normally I don’t use make up so I don’t know if this is the right product for me. It seems so strong but they keep saying that it’s okay. What do you recommend?

How do makeup removers work?

If you think about it, makeup removers have a tricky job to do. Unlike a regular face wash (or even a body wash) they have to be able to remove materials that are designed to be extremely water resistant like some foundations or mascara. Just think how heavy and greasy some of those products are. But the solution isn’t to just add stronger cleansing agents because those can be too harsh for the delicate skin on the face and they’re not may cause problems if you use them too close to your eyes. But never fear, cosmetic chemists have a solution. In fact, they’ve developed two different approaches to mild makeup removal. The first one we call “solvency.”

Solvency (like dissolves like)

This involves the chemical principle called “like dissolves like.” In other words, oils will dissolve other materials that have a similar chemical structure. As an example let’s look at mineral oil because it’s so effective and used in so many products. Mineral oil is a solvent (the thing that does the dissolving) and it’s atoms are held together by covalent bonds. Heavy or greasy makeup (which in this case is the solute – the thing being dissolved) also consists of atoms that are hooked together with covalent bonds. So that means that mineral oil is similar enough to all the other gunk on your face that it will dissolve it. That’s a very simplified explanation of “like dissolves like.”

Detergency

The second approach is the one that people are most familiar with when it comes to cleaning oily dirt – I guess the best name for it is “detergency.” It involves using a surface active agent, like soap and or synthetic detergent, to allow the oily makeup to mix with water. The potential issue with this approach is that anything which solubilizes oils has the potential for stripping the skin. In addition some surfactants, like sodium lauryl sulfate, don’t rinse well because they can interact with skin protein and the residue they leave behind is irritating to some people.

BUT, surfactants (which typically have a pH in the range of 5-7) do not upset the skin’s acid mantle as much soap which has a pH in the range of 9-10. If the mantle is washed away or neutralized by alkaline agents then the skin is more easily damaged or infected. That’s because without the mantle the skin cells start to separate and allow more moisture loss which in turn causes tiny cracks in the skin where bacteria can enter. Once the mantle is depleted and the pH of skin gets above 6.5 you’re much more prone to damage and infection. There are number of studies such that have evaluated the harshness of cleansers and have consistently found that soap is worse than surfactants (see below). The important point to takeaway from all this is that different kinds of cleaners may affect your skin differently.

Using these two approaches, cosmetic chemists can formulate 3 basic types of makeup removers. Next, we’ll explain how each type works and give you some specific product examples so you have an idea which ingredients to look for. We’ll also break down the cost of each product so you get an idea of how much you should spend.

Foaming cleansing/Detergent type

As the name implies, this type of makeup remover works by using soaps or surfactants to emulsify makeup. Typically these will be thin, watery solutions. They SHOULD be the least expensive since they contain a lot of water but as you’ll see that’s not always the case. Here are a few examples in order of least expensive to most expensive. Since these products come in all different sizes we’ve done the math for you and calculated the cost per ounce so it’s easier to compare them.

Olay Clean & Mild Make-Up Remover ClothsSome products, like this one, are sold as cloth pads saturated with the cleansing solution. That makes it difficult to compare costs because you’ll get more uses out of a bottle of liquid. On the other hand, cloths and pads are convenient because you don’t need a separate cotton ball or wash cloth. And the cloths will help more than using just your hands. These cost $3.99 for a pack of 20 so they’re about 20 cents per use. It’s based on aloe juice, glycerine and a betaine which is a mild surfactant.

philosophy Purity Made Simple® Facial Cleansing Gel & Eye Makeup RemoverThis one is based on a couple of surfactants which are commonly used in baby shampoos so that gives you some idea of how mild it will be and how well it clean. It’s about $2.80 per ounce.

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup RemoverFor about $6.00 per oz you can get this Estee Lauder product. It uses another baby shampoo type surfactant along with a nonionic surfactant and a polyol solvent. The nice thing about this one is that it’s fragrance free. You really don’t need fragrance in a product like this since all it will do is increase the likelihood of irritation.

Givenchy Mister Perfect Instant Makeup Eraser (pen form)Finally, if you’ve got money to burn you should buy this Givenchy product that costs $300 per oz! It’s so expensive because it comes in a low dose pen form. We couldn’t find an ingredient list for this one but but their website says it’s based on a ”coconut derivative anionic surfactant formula.” This could be anything since MOST surfactants can be coconut derived. Anything from ultra mild sodium methyl cocoyl istheionate to the more harsh SLS. I can’t imagine this product is worth the money.

Cost: 0.1 oz for $30. ($300 per oz.)

Ingredients: “coconut derivative anionic surfactant formula”

Oil cleansing type

The second product type is an oil based product which, as we just explained, uses the principle of like dissolves like. Not surprisingly, these are oily, viscous liquids. They may be based on true oils like olive oil or other “oily” materials like esters. These are effective and have the advantage of moisturizing because they can leave an occlusive film on skin. However, they have the negative of not removing all types of makeup and may leave skin feeling greasy, and may even increase breakouts depending on the oils they use.

These products should be the most expensive since they don’t contain water – remember it’s almost always cheaper to formulate a product with water as the first ingredient. That doesn’t mean you should spend more on these because you can get much of the same benefit from much cheaper oils that you already have at home like baby oil or even olive oil. But here are some examples.

Mario Badescu CARNATION EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER OIL
I didn’t even know that you could get oil from a carnation. This one also contains sesame oil and costs about $3.50 per oz.

Cost: 2 oz for $7 ($3.50 per oz)

Ingredients: Carnation Oil, Sesame Oil, Floral Extract

The Body Shop MOISTURE WHITE SHISO MAKE-UP CLEANSING OIL
The Body Shops Moisture White Shiso cleansing oil is based on a triglyceride which is derived from coconut oil. It also contains some nonionic surfactants and soybean oil. It costs $3.57 per oz.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil
Then there’s MAC’s Cleanse Off oil. It uses an ester Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and a blend of olive oil, jojoba oil, wheat germ oil, and rice germ oil. Surprisingly, they’ve decided to include some citrus extracts which can be skin irritants so I’m not too crazy about this one.

Cream cleansing type

The third type of makeup remover is kind of a cross between the first two: these products are typically a mixture of water with some kind of oil. And since they’re emulsions they also contain a surfactant which can aid in cleansing. Some cream cleansers are designed to be left on the skin so they may provide some moisturization while others are rinsed away. The classic example of a “cold cream” type cleanser is Noxzema. Here are a few more modern examples…

POND’S Cucumber Cleanser
Pond’s cucumber cleanser is tough to beat because of the price. It’s only 89 cents per ounce. It’s based on mineral oil so it should work pretty well.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
Sephora’s product is disappointing because it’s based on volatile silicones and hydrocarbon solvents which could be too stripping and it doesn’t contain any oils to rehydrate skin. The good news is that it’s only $2.50 per oz.

CLINIQUE Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips
Clinique’s Take the day off has the same problem because it’s based on isohexadecane and cyclopentasiloxane but it’s a little better because it contains dimethicone which is a good skin protectant. It’s a bit pricier at $4.40 per oz.

Herborist Silky All-Day Softening Cleansing Foam (aerosol foam)
Next up is the product which Elisa asked about – Herborist’s Silky All Day Softening Cleansing Foam. This one is relatively unique because it’s an aerosolized foam. It uses betaine, a mild surfactant, to generate foam and glycerine and some oils to remove makeup. It does contain a volatile silicone which can dry out skin but there’s plenty of other “goodies” in the formula to rehydrate skin. So, to answer Elisa’s question, I’d guess this is mild enough to be used everyday. There’s nothing particularly harsh here. It costs about $5.60 per oz but it’s hard to judge how good of a value that is because it’s a foam. The other problem with this product is that it makes some outrageous claims which we’ll get to in a minute.

Don’t be tricked by makeup remover claims

I’d like to say a few words about makeup remover claims – the words are “don’t believe them.” If the product says it will remove makeup, it’s credible. If it says it will not dry out skin and moisturize, it’s fine but if it claims to “grow lashes” or “cool skin” or “depuff your baggy eyes” or “tighten wrinkles” then we would be very skeptical. Makeup removers are not typically capable of delivering the kinds of ingredients that can provide these benefits. Think about it – the products are either rinsed off or wiped away… There’s not much of an opportunity for active ingredients (assuming they have active ingredients) to penetrate into the skin. Most likely the company is exaggerating their claims to entice you to spend more money on their product instead of using baby oil or whatever.

It looks like a fine product and there doesn’t appear to be any reason not to use it everyday but it’s not going to do some of these things.

A word about sonic cleansers

By the way, in case you’re wondering how sonic cleansers stack up as a facial cleanser, we did cover this in a previous episode. Our bottom line was that If you have “normal” skin and you wash your face diligently with a washcloth, you may not see much additional benefit from any of these devices. BUT, if you have certain skin conditions which make it harder to clean your skin, then you may be able to more effectively and more gently clean your skin using a sonic cleanser. You can read all about this in our post on Are sonic cleansers better for your face.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Picking the right makeup remover for you can be summarized in 4 steps:

1. Decide if you like the clean feel of detergent based systems or the moisturizing feel of oil based systems.
2. Based on your preference, look for oil based or detergent based products by looking at the first 5 ingredients. (See the ingredient lists are to give you some examples as guidelines)
3. Ignore any claims about lash growth, wrinkles, etc.
4. Buy the cheapest product that fits your requirements

I just use olive oil, it’s seriously the best! Never had a single problem with it. So easy and my skin looks amazing as well as my lips. Avocado oil is great too but it’s more expensive.
BTW, for some reason, I can’t rewind your postcasts anymore while streaming them from my phone. It was OK before, but something changed the last couple of weeks.

You’re welcome, Rachael! It’s tough for us to do product comparisons because they can be so subjective but we’re happy to write about the different types of products within a category in case anyone wants to submit an audio question. Hint hint.

I’ve used cleansing oils for over 55 years and so I’ve experienced a lot of different ones from über cheap to ridiculously expensive. I have also seen the trend come and go multiple times and think that most people who become disenchanted with oils do so because they haven’t selected a cleansing oil that is suited to their skin condition and the types of cosmetics that they are using. A good cleansing oil should be light in texture, easily emulsified and rinsed off with water, it should completely clean the skin without the need for double cleansing, and it should have–in my opinion–a certain esthetic appeal that makes it a pleasure to use. My current love is Tatcha’s cleansing oil and I wouldn’t trade it for anything–at least not until something better comes along 🙂 Unlike Tree, I can’t tolerate olive oil on my face. It is too heavy and irritates my skin. So, the moral to the story is find the one that works best for you. It might mean a bit of trial and error, but a good cleansing oil removes all the gunk without stripping the skin and leaves it feeling smooth and soft. As a final step, I always go over my face and neck with a clean washcloth that has been wrung out in warm water.

As for cleansing wipes–ugh! I never feel really clean when I use them and after using them a few times, I notice they leave a residue on my skin which ultimately causes irritation. What good is a wipe if I then have to cleanse my face to get rid of the residue? I guess I’m just so accustomed to the feel of my skin after using a good cleansing oil that nothing else really compares.

Sophie, I sometimes have trouble with eyelid infections and have had several MDs, including a couple different opthalmologists, tell me to wash my eyelids with baby shampoo nightly. Dunno if it’s general advice or only to treat certain conditions.

The other thing I’ve been told to use is an OTC eyelid scrub, which remove makeup too, but in my experience those are harsher.

I join with everyone in the congratulations on this episode. I went directly to my beauty box to check my products to see what are made of and how are working.

My eye makeup remover works with Cyclopentasiloxane and contains propylene glycol, glycerine, matricara, diazolidinyl, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate . Is one of those bottles with two colors, blue and clear. I like this for removing eyeliner and mascara 🙁 .. but actually I don’t like using mascara that much because it seems to never get off with anything >.<. My eyes get red so easily with cleaners, so I look for oily.

I use a cleaning cream for the rest of my face that washes off. It works with Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Isohexadecane, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Polysorbate 20, Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 60, Hexylene Glycol. Its creamy and I like it because I put it all over my face, let it work a few mins and all of my make up washes off. I use a cotton after that just to verify nothing is stil there, but my skin doesn't feel dry.

My products are from a Mexican not so well know brand called Terramar. It was surprising to see that they use some of the ingredients that other famous brands havehttp://www.terramarbrands.com/

I’m surprised that your list doesn’t mention the wonders of Micellar Water as make up remover. It works as a very mild non rinse cleanser and gets rid of all dirt (even after the shower) and is usually adapted to the most sensitive skin.
There are a lot nowadays available on the market but my favorite one is the first of its kind from Laboratoire Bioderma called Sensibio H2O its fragrance free and alcohol free for a better respect of the skin.

Great article! I have a couple of questions about cleansing oils: you said that “they have the negative of not removing all types of makeup”. What are the types of makeup that oil doesn’t remove? I had the impression that oil takes off everything.

The second question is about how cleansing oils work. I’ve read that they contain oil/s plus a surfectant of some kind that allows them to be emulsified by water and rinsed off. Based on my layman deduction from this information, depending on the ratio of oil to surfectant, well-formulated cleansing oils can be very cleanly rinsed off without leaving any greasy residue. Is my understanding correct?

1. Some make up contains silicones and film formers that are not very oil soluble.

2. Yes, your layperson deduction is good! But keep in mind it’s a balancing act: Too much oil and not enough surfactant can result in poor rinsing. Not enough oil and too much surfactant can make the product feel more like a traditional foaming product rather than an oil cleanser.

I grew up watching my mom spending time putting on and removing makeup whenever she has to leave the house, and take great care of her face. In contrary I have only used makeup maybe on my wedding and perhaps several special occasions with some blushing and lip glossing. I have not used facial wash for almost a decade now and my face seems just fine. When my hands are really dry I applied my son’s Aveeno cream on my hands, face and legs… However I am relying on so much on this website these past few days because I’m visiting home and want to get my mom some good (and truthful) skincare products. I am so glad I found this website, and am so glad that I never wasted half of my lifetime figuring out what makeup to use and what product to remove it, etc…. but I totally understand the desire of being beautiful! Thanks for all the great info!